After just under six hours of sleep, 5 a.m. nudges me, letting me know that it’s time to work.

It’s Friday morning.  I know that I need more rest, but that will have to come later.

It’s time to have a great morning!

Coffee, smoothie, dressed in Jordan gear and out the door.

For the next 45 minutes or so, I ride alone in the darkness over the thirty-seven and a half miles of cool asphalt, rap music filling the early morning air as I prepare mentally to get better.

I arrive at my destination and the only light that I can see anywhere around, is that which is pouring out of the large rectangular windows at B Meyer Training.

I have no idea what I’ll be doing on this day.

I never know.

For two months my workouts have been different every single time.

I love it that way.

I grab my bag, my clothes, tell myself it’s going to be a great day and enter the gym.

I’m the first one there.

I’m always, the first one there.

Sign in, morning greetings with Dave and Coach B, bag down, it’s time to work.

After 50 or so minutes of push, I’m drenched in invigorating struggle, and I know I’ve gotten better.

But on this day, I’m not done.

Coach Dave Rubin points to the elliptical and says, “Let’s go!”

I take a deep breath, wipe the hard work from my brow and begin walking in the machine’s direction.

**

Every single morning when I arrive at the gym, Dave Rubin, the guy that’s been training me, is already there.  He’s got the music going, he’s upbeat and he’s ready to help me get better.

Dave’s tough, I’m not gonna lie.  His expectations are high, but they’re coming from the right place.  He’s a HUGE Jordan fan.  Some would say that it’s merely a coincidence, but I don’t believe that.

***

I step on the machine, still not sure what I’m going to be asked to do.

30 seconds prior I had thought that my workout was complete.

Dave says, “OK, let’s get better!  I want you to go all out, as fast as you can…let’s go!”

I begin, giving it every ounce of what I have remaining.  Arms and legs pumping back and forth, up and down, in a torturous rhythmatic performance.

15 seconds in, Dave informs me, “We’re gonna go a minute.”

My mind says, YOU DON’T HAVE A MINUTE KEN!

27, 28, 29, 30

The burn begins sliding up and down my legs, as my pace slows.

“You’re slowing down!  Come on, pick it up!  You’ve got to get stronger at the end of games!  You said you wanna get under a minute in the 300 yd shuttle, let’s go!  Push!”

37…38…39…

The burn isn’t moving.  It’s set up camp on my legs, as I try to give more.

My mind says, YOU GOTTA STOP!

44…45…46…

And it burns like hot cast iron skillets have been strapped to my legs!

My mind says, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?  DON’T YOU FEEL THAT!?  STOP YOU FOOL!

52…53…54…

My legs, perhaps feeling a pain they’ve never felt, are trapped…between a mind and a heart.

My mind is screaming, QUIT!  QUIT!  QUIT!

58…59…60!

My mind is weak…but my heart is strong!

“Great job! OK, now walk it out,” Coach Dave says as he gives me a fist bump and more instruction.

“Control your breathing.”

“Cheek to cheek…move those arms!”

“Give me some light shuffles.”

“OK, you’ve got 15 seconds and we’re going to do it again.”

My mind is telling me, NOOOO!

He says, “Grab a quick sip if you need it.”

I make one step towards the water and then internally say HELL NO!  I’m about to bust this machine’s ass!

I get back on the elliptical, determined to succeed!

My mind is weak, buy my heart is strong!

GIVING MY ALL!

I may never be able to jump out of the gym or keep up with the likes of the facility’s most recognizable athlete, Dwight Howard, but what I can control is my effort!

My whole goal as I prepare on this journey to play Michael Jordan, is to be the best ME, that I can be.

That’s it!  So I push!  I give my all!  I strive to be the best Kenny Eller that I can be!

When God handed out gifts, he may not have given me the natural tools to be the best basketball player, but HE gave me a lot of determination.

HE gave me heart of belief!

Great Mornings!

Much like I control my effort in those early morning workouts, I’ve learned to also control my perspective.

I awake every morning and I tell myself, it’s gonna be a great morning!  Then, it’s gonna be a great afternoon!  Then finally, it’s gonna be a great evening!

Ask me how I’m doing at anytime and I’m going to tell you, “GREAT!”

April of last year, I sent one of my many hope filled emails along this path to a gentleman who has become a friend and mentor.

Dave Hopla received my email and a couple of hours later we spoke.  Three weeks after that initial conversation, we met and shot hoops together.  Since that time, nearly every few weeks I receive a call from Mr. Hopla, checking in to see how I’m doing.

You see Dave doesn’t deal with good.  He only associates himself with Great!

That’s why he shot 98.92% during his basketball shooting clinics last year.  With over 23,000 attempts, while speaking, he made almost 99%.

It seems undoable, but it’s not.

It begins with proper perspective.

Right before we ordered our lunch some nine months ago, Dave said, “People don’t remember good movies, but a GREAT movie, they recount every line!”

He said, “No one remembers good players, but GREAT players…they’re never forgotten!”

He went on with, “So why would you ever want to be good?”

“Why would you want to have a good day, when you can have a GREAT day?” he added, “It begins with how you think!”

Since that meeting and with the help of some Hopla perspective checks, I’ve incorporated this mindset into my daily life.

I ask people every single morning, how they’re doing and I NEVER hear great, other than the handful of people I’m working with, because they’ve heard my Hopla stories.

I hear, “OK”, “I’m good”, “I’ll be better in a bit”, “Alright”, “Ehhh”, and the list of improper responses rolls out like a red carpet, except their red carpet is leading to a mediocre day and worse, a mediocre life.

Shame on them!  Shame on YOU!  Shame on ME, until a few months ago.

You’ve been given the gift of another day, so be respectful of that and make it great!

It begins with YOU!

Getting Better!

There is no doubt in my mind that I’ve gotten better!  No doubt that I’m more prepared!

And the next time the burn says hello in the greatness of morning, my heart will smile the greatest smile and triumphantly say, “LET’S GO!!”

me vs. Michael Jeffrey Jordan…the journey continues!  Thank you so very much for following along!

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I’ve been working with Dave Rubin and Coach B Meyer for right at two months now.  I really can’t say enough great things about either of them.  I can tell you that I have thouroughly enjoyed every bit of the experience and the improvement physically has far exceeded all of my expectations.  I have just a month remaining on what was my initial commitment, but I can already tell you that the things I’ve learned there I will carry with me for life.  For more information on B Meyer Training, which I HIGHLY endorse, check out BMeyerTraining.com!

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Connect:  Twitter (@KennyEller) and mevsMJ.com Facebook Fan Page.

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If you’re new to the site, I set out in August 2010 to get a game of 1-on-1 vs. my childhood hero Michael Jordan.  This site is about that journey…through every valley, to every mountain top of triumph! 

So last week, as you may have seen in Saturday’s post, I began individual performance training at the B Meyer training facility in Altamonte Springs, Florida.

If you didn’t see Saturday’s post, Coach B Meyer has been featured in Men’s Health, USA Today, and ESPN to name a few and is the performance coach for many professional athletes, including the Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard.  It’s safe to say this is the real deal!

Through my first four sessions it has been an unbelievable experience!

Truthfully, I’m not really a morning person or a “working out” person (besides running and court work), but over the past week I’ve been so excited to wake up at 5am and go workout with Coach B and his program coach Dave Rubin that I almost can’t sleep the night before!  I’m thrilled because I know I’m getting better!

Last week I was scheduled for two sessions, but then on Friday morning because I was so amped, I sent Dave the following text, “Man, I wanna workout today!”

I really didn’t expect anything from that but within a few minutes Dave had made time for me in his schedule so that I could come by and get some work in!

That to me is an example of, as my buddy Andy says, “Good people!”

It’s the best feeling to have people that want you to improve as much as YOU want to improve and that’s what I’ve got with Dave and Coach B!

I’m thankful, for sure!

Initial Test Results

So I did a series of tests on Friday, ranging from vertical jump to 300 yard shuttle, so that I could track my improvement over the period of training and I thought I would share the initial results:

Vertical:  23.6 inches (no steps, just straight up)

Max Push-Ups:  30

Max Suspension Pull-Ups:  15

Broad Jump:  6’10”

300 Yard Shuttle:  1:12

Measurement of waist at belly button:  32 inches

Measurement two inches above belly button:  32 inches

Due to me not working out at all prior to last week (besides running and playing hoops as previously mentioned), I’m satisfied with the initial results and know that I will see great improvement as I continue to get stronger!

Operation NBA Body is in full effect!

me vs. Michael Jordan…the journey continues!  I’m getting ready!

Are you Mr. Jordan?

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HELP ME:  I’m working hard over here and I need your help!  Please share this site with at least one person today and help spread the mevsMJ.com word!  All things are possible with FAITH and HARD WORK!

Connect:  Twitter (@KennyEller) and Facebook Fan Page.

“Come on Ken!  Stay up!  You’ve got this!  Just a few more seconds!” were the encouraging words coming my way from Coach B, as I lay stretched out on the floor early Tuesday morning, arms and chest raised, head tucked, in full Superman mode.

With effort dripping from my brow, it seemed only fitting that my initial evaluation/workout would include the Superman near its conclusion.  After all, the man that is Coach B, Bryan Meyer, is the performance coach behind probably the best physical specimen in any sport, Superman, aka Dwight Howard!

Will You Help Me Get Better?

“Will you help me get better?” was the humble request I sent Coach B’s (@CoachBMeyer) way a couple of weeks ago through Twitter.

I wasn’t sure if he would even respond, due to his schedule and the fact that he didn’t know me, but he did!

Over the next couple of days we exchanged a few messages and then this past Monday afternoon I was at his B Meyer Training facility, in Altamonte Springs, Florida, discussing my goal of playing Michael Jordan and what this site is all about.

More Than A Game of 1-on-1

For those of you that have been with me since the beginning here at mevsMJ.com, you understand that this journey is much more than a game of 1-on-1 vs. Michael Jordan.

While MJ is the end goal, this site is about pushing the limits of what is viewed as possible by the majority and maximizing the potential we all have in whatever venue you choose to do so.

Me + B Meyer Training

I’ve written in the past about preparing for WHEN, not if, your goal will happen and that’s what working with Coach B Meyer and his staff is all about!

I’m preparing for WHEN I check the ball in to Michael Jordan!

While I may never be able to do the things that Dwight Howard can do, I do want to maximize every bit of Kenny Eller! (Note:  I didn’t say that I wouldn’t be able to do what Howard can do!  Always gotta think positive!)

So over the coming weeks, I will wake up at 5am, drive some 50 minutes a couple of times a week, to work with Coach B and his staff to become the best me that I can be.

I must tell you that after my first three sessions I already feel stronger and more prepared!  (Don’t be afraid Mr. Jordan! ;-))

My Commitment

My initial commitment is to train for a minimum of three months and to give every bit of myself in each session.

I sincerely want to get BETTER and I know that working with Coach B will get me there!

I may not be where I’d like to be currently, but I can already see where I will end up and that is beyond exciting!

Session number four is early Monday morning and I CAN’T WAIT!!!

me vs. MJ…the soon to be in NBA shape journey continues!  As always, thank you following along!

Connect:  Twitter (@KennyEller) and Facebook Fan Page.

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For more information on Bryan Meyer and his B Meyer Training, connect with him on Twitter (@CoachBMeyer), through his Facebook Fan Page and on the B Meyer Training website.